Grimm Effect--Example
by dark dhampir
Summary: Just an example for anyone who takes up my challenge to work with. Not necessary, just here for help or for fun.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, this is a jumping off point for my_Grimm/Mass Effect Crossover Challenge. Nobody has to use this piece. It's just meant to act a helpful starting point. It's kind of what I had in mind._

* * *

**Challenge #1:**

**The Grimm Effect**

The Shadow Broker turned to face Liara, although his—_its?—_face remained hidden by the shadows. "It's pointless to challenge me, Asari. I know your every secret, while you fumble in the dark. For instance," the hulking alien said turning to view the group as a whole. "I know your beloved Commander has been keeping some very . . . interesting secrets from you."

Shepard felt a chill run through her veins in spite of the burning atmosphere outside the shuttle. Her rifle wavered just a little before she forced it steady. Could he know? Of course not; it was impossible.

"Tell me, Commander, when were you planning to tell your lover that you were a Grimm?"

Shepard's heart stopped. He knew. She swallowed, trying to organize her thoughts.

"Surprised, Commander?" the Broker asked. "Do not be. I have spies from every race in the galaxy, including wesen. I could recite every member of family to bear the "gift" all the way back to Nicholas Burkhart, even his aunt and mother. I can identify at what age you awakened to your heritage and summarize most if not all of your hunts. I am also well aware of your allies: the Blutbad Lieutenant Williams, the Hexenbiest Lawson, the Hundjaeger Taylor . . . Quite the company you keep."

"Shepard . . ." Garrus asked. "What's he talking about?"

"I'll tell you later," the Specter replied, trying to recover. How was she supposed to explain this—that she could see . . . creatures that normal people couldn't? It sounded more like insanity than some kind of family trait.

"Shepard . . ." Liara whispered, turning just _slightly_ to look at her lover. She didn't say a word, but her eyes carried a look that hurt the Commander worse than any bullet wound. A look of . . . _betrayal._

"I promise, I'll explain everything to you, Liara, but you'll have to wait until we deal with this guy."

"Arrogant," the Shadow Broker declared, leaning over his desk as though he were a critic at a play. "You really believe you can kill me?"

"I'm a Grimm, remember?" Shepard countered. "Monsters flee in terror at the sight of me." She would have to figure out a way to deal this revelation later—Thane, Tali, and everyone else would have to know, too, now-and she'd have to pull off the minor miracle to save her relationship with Liara. But, right now, there was a bad guy to fight, and she had a gun: life at its most basic.

* * *

O.K., time for a reiteration of the rules.

1. Shepard must a descendent of Nick. This also extends to her style of dealing with wesen; she's not the type of Grimm who'll lop off the head of a wesen the instant she sees it.

2. Cerberus is a descendant of the Verrat. The Illusive Man is a Royal. Personally, I don't think they're very special anymore, because Nick, Renard, and company, but it's up to the writer.

3. Not every human in the crew needs to be wesen. It would work pretty well if only a few were.

4. The key should be involved. I don't know or care how, but it should be.

5. You don't necessarily need to keep it limited to canon wesen. If someone wants to include some of the monsters from _Supernatural _(like vampires, djinn, or sirens), that would be great. Just don't include anything too overpowered-going back to _Supernatural, _no angels or demons, those guys are way too much (personally, I don't care much for them, anyway).

6. Remember, _Grimm _is primarily a show about mystery. Action and adventure is good, great even, but don't just through creatures at the crew for them to shoot at. Make it interesting, a Ziegevolk influencing a court case, a Hundjaeger assassin hunting down a target, Hasslichen extorting a lodge of Eisbiebers, you know the drill.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, I just thought I'd do another 2 chapter for this thing because a) it might help inspire someone to take up my challenge, and b) I wanted to. Basically, I've thought out a whole three-part arc of how Shepard introduces her crew to the Grimm world. I'm not going to do anything beyond that (except maybe retell "Mr. Sandman" just because I think it would be interesting to see the crew scramble to save Shepard's sight when they have little to no clue what they're doing, especially Mordin, "MustgatherEyeOfJinnamuruXuteAndAddItToCompound. WesenMustBe'Woged'OrEyeIsUseless. WesenBiologyVeryBizzare."), but no promises. This is a challenge for YOU guys, after all.**

**Additionally, I'm adding a new rule: Shepard must have a first name. I have read of Jane Shepards, Jade Shepards, Lucy Shepards, and Liz Shepards. I don't care if her name is Zelda Shepard, just give her a name! It kind of bugs me that Bioware never allowed Shepard's closest comrades, friends, and or even his/her lover to address him/her by name; only as "Commander" or "Shepard" (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's about building immersion-if you can roll with the whole SCI FI thing, a name won't break it for you).**

**By the way: dennis5596, your idea was pretty good. I don't know if I'd do it (although, it would help in the hypothetical rewrite of "Mr. Sandman).**

**Noir Detective: Thank you.**

* * *

The Commander wondered how Thane would react when he learned the Shadow Broker was dead. She hadn't asked him how he felt about it on the way here; he'd been in his cabin the whole time. She had the feeling he'd just say that it wasn't the Broker's fault Irikah had been murdered. The ones who sent the assassins were to blame . . . The drell's noble warrior/spiritualist ethos was kind of overpowering sometimes.

"So, how's it going, Liara?" Shepard asked. The Asari was working at her new desk, running logistics or something.

"We've dealt with the Shadow Broker, Shepard," the other woman answered. Turning to look the Commander in the eye, she continued. "No it's time for some answers. What was he talking about? Wesen, Grimms, your family? And why have you kept it a secret from me?"

Shepard cringed at her lover's accusations. "There's probably a lot of data on wesen and Grimms in that terminal you know . . ."

"Not good enough," Liara growled—_growled! _Shepard wondered just how much her beloved had gone through in the past two years. "I want the truth, from you, and I want it now."

Shepard sighed. "Liara . . . I'm sorry, I guess I should have told you. It's just . . . I didn't want you to . . ."

"To what, Shepard?" Liara asked, less stern now, more curious.

"To think I was crazy," the Commander finished. "Heck, when it first started, I thought—Liara, I really thought I was losing my mind." She shook her head and so missed Liara's look of concern, at least until she looked up and asked, "Liara, can you Join with me again, look at my memories like you did with those visions the Beacon gave me?"

Liara looked at her once dead lover. She had never seen Shepard like this. What could be so shameful that Shepard had hidden it from, apparently, everyone around her, and what could be so unbelievable that she thought this was the only way Liara could accept the truth? "Are you sure this is what you want, Shepard?"

The Spectre nodded once. "Only if you are Liara. There's . . . a lot of scary things in my past."

"More frightening than the Reapers?" Liara asked.

". . . yeah."

Liara's eyes went wide. What kind of burden did Shepard carry? Part of her felt cheated; she would rather hear the truth from Shepard's own lips. But, more than the truth, she wanted to comfort her love, to let her now that she would always "have her back," as humans said. "For you, I think I can take it, Shepard," she said, holding her love's shoulders.

Shepard looked into her eyes, tears starting to form. "We'll see," she replied.

Before initiating the joining Liara again wondered what it could be that could make Shepard, her lover and her hero, doubt herself so much. "Embrace Eternity," she whispered gently.

_Shepard was standing a crowd of people. She was young, so young. Liara was bad at guessing aliens' ages, but she was certain her beloved was only an adolescent. It was strange; Shepard spoke so little of her childhood, that Liara almost assumed she didn't have one. Then, she saw what Shepard and the others were facing: The Mindior Memorial, erected in honor of those who had died in the Batarian attack, both colonists and marines._

_Liara swallowed. Shepard had mentioned occasionally that she was born on a colony. Once, Liara had secretly looked up her lover's birthplace, hoping to plan a romantic getaway on the Commander's homeworld, possibly meet her parents. That was how she'd learned that Shepard had been sixteen years old when the slavers attacked and killed her family and many of her friends. Liara had never spoken to her of it, ashamed of learning something her beloved wasn't ready to share. But Shepard had died before getting the chance to do so._

_The Asari Maiden looked at the younger version of the woman she loved so much. It was strange, seeing her so young, so vulnerable. For a brief instant, Liara wondered if this little girl had any conception of the woman she would become._

_As though realizing she was under scrutiny, the younger Shepard turned away from the memorial to look at the people surrounding her. They were all humans, some looking stone-faced, some had their eyes closed, and some were weeping openly. Shepard was looking at one of these last mourners, a stout, wide man, maybe a laborer rather than a farmer. He was trying to be quiet but was bawling his eyes out._

_Then he changed._

_Liara was vaguely aware of Shepard's own shock, an echo of the real experience, but she was too busy trying to sort out her own mind. The man had gone from prematurely balding to _covered_ in hair—no, _fur, _fur like an _animal!—_with a pair of buck teeth sticking out of his lips. He looked like an Earth animal she and Shepard had seen once in an interplanetary zoo: a beaver!_

_The scene shifted. Shepard was talking to another woman. Liara recognized her as Ashley, also so much younger than when the Asari had first met her. This time, they were alone, in a bedroom. Shepard was curled up on her bed, holding herself tightly. Liara's heart ached at the sight of her lover so undone. Then, the Commander-to-be started speaking. "Ash, I. . . I think I'm losing it."_

_Ashley was sitting across from her in a chair. "What do you mean?"_

"_I'm seeing things," Shepard whispered. "Ever since the Memorial, I've been seeing things like a loony, a nut!"_

_Liara's mind screamed, begged her lover to stop saying such things about herself. Ashley apparently agreed. "I don't believe it. You're strong, way too strong to-"_

"_I see people turn into _fricking ANIMALS!" _Shepard screamed._

"_Animals?" Ashley asked. She had a strange look on her face, fear and disbelief and . . ._

"_More like monsters," Shepard muttered. "I see it all the time, whenever people get stressed out, I see them . . . _change."

"_Oh my gosh," Ashely whispered. Liara recognized the look on the girl's face now' it was the look she had worn when she realized her beloved was dead. The look of someone whose world has been fundamentally altereed in a terrible, terrible way._

"_You . . . you're a _Grimm" _Ashely breathed out, breaking the spell. It sounded like an accusation._

"_What?" Shepard asked looking up._

_Ashley was breathing heavily now. "You . . . can you see . . .this?" And then, Ashley changed. It was different than the beaver-man's transformation, much more frightening. Ashley's hair grew wilder, even her eyebrows, but her face remained uncovered, so Liara and Shepard could see the full horror of what she'd become. Her eyes were blood red, and her nose and ears had become pointed. Her skin was stretched and worn, and, from her mouth, protruded viciously pointed teeth._

_Shepard screamed. So did Liara._

_The scene changed again. Now, Shepard was a woman, dressed in N7 armor and speaking with Anderson. "A Spectre?" she asked. "Really? I thought I'd be another century before they let a human into the clubhouse."_

"_It's true," the man responded. "They think you've got what it takes." He smiled. "Should've guessed the first human Spectre would be a Grimm."_

_Shepard smiled, too, but hers was strained. "I wonder how long until _that _secret comes out."_

"_Hopefully, never," the man replied. "We can't even tell regular humans. No way are we ready to tell the Council that some members of the human race are . . ."_

"_Not quite human," Shepard offered. "Damn, it, why not? You'd think after meeting aliens, actual freaking _aliens, _being a wesen wouldn't be that big a deal."_

"_Well, there're still a lot of sore feelings left over from the war," Anderson sighed. "Humanity was never going to be happy to learn that monsters are real, but, after the first form of sentient life we've ever encountered got in a fight with us, finding that thereare whole races that having been hiding out on Earth for millennia and that those races are still there and can blend into human society perfectly. Besides," he added. "I think a few of those aliens, especially the Sularians, may want to know just how we can . . ." Anderson changed, but Liara wasn't as terrified this time, though her curiosity was raised even more than with Ashely's. Ashley had still looked mostly human; Anderson no longer even looked like a mammal. His nose became beak-like, and his face was covered in feathers. His eyes became hooded by a prominent browridge and were glowing golden, piercing her soul._

_Shepard wasn't bothered at all. "Yeah, and how a Grimm can see it when normal humans can't." _

"_You'd better believe it," Anderson said, his voice warped like his features, deeper. Then, he shifted back._

"_I guess you're right, sir." Shepard sighed, then smiled a little, but not in a way Liara liked. It was the way Shepard usually smiled before making a joke about her failures. "At least this will improve morale, right?"_

"_Shepard-"_

"_Sir, _you _stepped back the first time I saw you, and Steinadlers aren't generally known for being easy to scare."_

_The man sighed. "No, we're not."_

_They were both silent for a moment, before Shepard smiled again and asked, "What do you think the odds are that there are alien wesen?_

"_It think that's a little _too _weird to be real," Anderson responded._

The Joining ended. Liara was breathing heavily, trying to make sense of what she'd seen. How was . . . it was impossible . . . wasn't it?

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Shepard asked. Liara looked up and saw Shepard with that same self-effacing smile the Asari so hated. "If you want to say that was all impossible or that I must be crazy, go for it. I won't blame you."

"You're _not_ insane, Shepard," Liara said, perhaps a little too forcefully. But, it was the truth, Liara had done more than just see her beloved's memories; she had actually _felt _Shepard's mind. All young Asari were trained to recognize the feel of an unstable psyche in order to protect themselves from dangerous partners. Shepard was sane—scarred, frightened, but sane. Which meant . . . "Ashley, she really . . ."

"Isn't human?" Shepard offered. "Oh, yeah."

* * *

**Author's Notes: OK, I think that was all right for a writing prompt. I was going to put an example of "new" wesen here-partially in case anyone needs help with that and partially because it'll be fun-but I decided not to. Maybe I'll make that "Chapter 4."**

**Wesen:**

**Jinnamuru Xute: "Tear-Stealing Evil Spirit" (Actual "Evil spirit of limping man," an actual African folklore creature), a hideous fly-creature hailing from Southern and Central Africa. This species actually gets an opiate-like high from human tears (complete with withdrawal pains later). To produce these tears, they breathe "red sand" into the eyes of their victims (I won't say what that "sand" really is because that would push this up to an "M-rating," and, besides, it's really gross; look t upon the Grimm wiki if you want all the gory details). They are extremely fast and agile, able to fight toe-to-toe with a Grimm. Truly insidious, they often attack the relatives of their victims to feed on the pain they have already caused.**

**Eisbiber: "Ice Beaver," a very common species, Eisbibers have never had problems with Grimms because of natural skittishness, i.e. they're too cowardly to cause trouble, which has also caused them to become the victims of stronger breeds (Eisbibers are no stronger than ordinary humans and are not usually very fit). However, they can be brave when inspired to be so. Community-minded, Eisbibers form democratic lodges. They usually work in construction or repair due to their talent with crafts, such as model-making, baking, or sowing. They have nothing to do with ice, really (except Nick met his first Eisbeber friend when he was repairing Nick's fridge). **

**Blutbad: "Bloodbath," a vicious, canid wesen, "bastardized as ' Big, Bad Wolf." They are another fairly common species, known to devour humans and weaker wesen. However, they are capable of living amongst normal humans with the aid of a vegetarian diet. Blutbaden (misspelling, FWI) don't usually form packs, because it encourages them to be more feral, although they are extremely protective of their loved ones. They are strong, fast, and possess sharp senses of smell and hearing, as well as sharp teeth and claws. However, wolfsbane can be used to hide your scent, the full moon makes it harder to control their instincts, and they can be temporarily incapacitated by a blow to the lower back (nerve cluster at the base of the spine). Silver bullets are an idiotic waste of money; regular ammunition works just fine.**

**Steinadler: "Stone Eagle," Bearing the same name in German as the golden eagle, Steinadlers are blessed with incredible vision, able to see well in glares, across long distances, and in the dark. They are brave and charismatic, often joining the military as Commanders or Black Ops. agents. However, they seem no stronger or tougher than an ordinary human being and-like all avian Wesen-CANNOT fly. **

**I considered making Anderson a Taureus-Armenta ("Bull/Ox-Cattle for Plowing," a Minotaur-like wesen known for stubbornness and courage in the face of adversity) since they also work in the military a lot, but I went with a Steinadler because a) Taureus-Armentae strike me more as the front-lines type who don't go far up the chain of command because it would take them away from the action, usually volunteers rather than high-level professionals, and b) I really like Steinadlers (really, if a demented scientist kidnapped me and declared he was going to turn me into a bird creature, I'd ask to be a Steinadler). Also, this lets me introduce a non-mammalian wesen.**

**To wet your appetite for the last "proper" chapter in this exercise:**

**1. Hexenbiest and Hundjeager**

**2. Reapers (and not the mechanical kind)**

**Enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: OK, one more chapter and then I'll be done answering my own challenge! Actually . . .**

**Scorio-666: Thank you. I don't intend to do anything major with this (it's supposed to be a challenge for other people) but I do think I'll retell the stories of "Mr. Sandman," and "La LLarona," just because they'd be interesting to do, but I don't want to just retell the series in the _Mass Effect _universe (Which would be kind of dumb anyway, since Nick is supposedly Shepard's ancestor).**

**Anywho . . . On with the story!**

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" Joker asked. _Normandy _was orbiting the chaotic world the Shadow Broker's ship circled. Shepard's friends and allies were all sitting in the conference room. At first glance, it was just another debriefing.

"No, Joker," Shepard sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm dead serious."

"Look, Shepard," Garrus said. "I trust you with my life, but . . . you have to understand that this all sounds . . . a little . . ."

"Crazy?" the Spectre offered.

"I was going to say, 'hard to believe,'" the Turian said, defensively.

"Don't," Shepard ordered. "Call it like it is, and it's crazy. Not just 'a little crazy, either: _a lot _crazy."

"PerhapsAppearsImpossibleButThatDoesNotMakeItSo." Everyone turned to Mordin. The Salurian looked around the room and lowered his head, grinning a little. If Shepard didn't know better, she'd say he looked sheepish. "BeenDoingExperimentsOnCrew'sDNA—LookingForUnusual SubjectsForBacteriaStudies—KnowOperativesLawsonAnd TaylorHaveMixedGenetics."

Shepard saw both the people in question _woge _for a brief moment, before shifting back. What she didn't expect was to hear Liara gasp.

"Shepard . . ." she whispered. "I saw . . . just for an instant . . . I saw them change."

The Grimm Spectre's eyes went wide. _How the heck? Just for an instant; maybe she can only see the change itself. But, how is that possible, unless . . . the Joining! We've Joined minds so many times in the past, maybe it gave her the sight! Or, maybe she's just learned to recognize the way their faces move when they change, and her mind fills in the blanks. I wonder if that means she can only see the ones I've seen? _

There were a million other things to consider, but, right now, there were more immediate concerns. "You saw what?" Joker asked again.

"Shepard," Tali, said, slowly as one speaks to child who thinks there is a monster in the closet, "Nothing happened . . ."

"Nothing, our eyes could perceive," Thane corrected, examining his "human" comrades closely.

"OUR SCANNERS DETECTED A SLIGHT BLUR IN THE ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRUM," Legion intoned. "CANNOT CONFIRM PHYICAL CHANGE, HOWEVER."

_Figures _Thane _would be the first to believe me, _Shepard thought. "OK, you guys want proof? I'll give you proof." Turning back to the again human-lookingJacob, she gave him an order. _"Woge _for them."

"What?" Jacob asked, taken aback. "Commander, you can't be serious."

"I am, now do it, Commander's orders."

Jacob grimaced. This was a new experience for the people around him; Jacob was usually the embodiment of militaristic professionalism. Now, he looked like a child being told to undress for the doctor. Garrus opened his mouth—_mandibles?—_to crack a joke at the man's expense, when he finally forced out, "Very well." Then, he did it.

Even Shepard blinked a little. A Wesen's "public" _woge _was always a little more intense than the "normal" one, somehow. The others didn't fare so well; the sight of Jacob's head suddenly morphing into that of a furry, fierce-looking hound was . . . certainly shocking. Joker screamed. Samara, Garrus and Grunt leapt to their feet. Thane and Legion handled it best, though they, too instinctively went to draw their weapons until they remembered they weren't armed. Only Mordin seemed genuinely unconcerned; in fact, he was totally elated.

"Amazing! Inconceivable! ShapeShiftingLongConsideredImpossibleDream! AndPossibleToDoSoUndetected? Incredible! HowDoesItWork?" He seemed, if possible, to be talking even faster than he usually did.

"Either magic or sufficiently advanced science, take your pick," Shepard replied with a shrug. "Honestly, I've been seeing this stuff for about fourteen or sixteen years, depending on whether or not you count the two I spent dead, and there's still a lot I don't know."

"_Keelah," _Tali breathed. "Shepard . . . you mean . . . _magic? _Spells and witches and . . . things?"

"Well," Shepard replied, "I've seen a few weird things, nothing along the lines of wizards shooting lighting from their hands or anything like what a biotic can do. Most of this stuff seems to prefer following the laws of physics whenever it can, but as for witches . . ." Shepard turned towards Miranda, who sighed.

"Do I really need to?"

"As a Grimm and the commanding officer, I feel it is my contractual obligation to ruin any sexual fantasies anyone's been having of you that may distract them and endanger the mission," Shepard replied, grinning.

Miranda made a face but did as she was told, which caused even more panic than Jacob's transformation had. Her hair turned white and her eyes seemed to disappear, leaving two, black, empty sockets. Her skin shriveled, becoming the brown husk of a mummy, and, when she opened her mouth, her teeth looked both rotten and razor sharp.

"What the—?" Garrus choked, almost falling back into his chair.

"Holy . . ." Jack breathed. "You really _are _a witch, aren't you?"

_Woging _back, Miranda replied, "Yes, although I prefer the term 'Hexenbiest.'"

"And you've been around . . . _forever?" _Joker asked.

"Sure they have," Shepard responded. "President Kennedy was a Ziegevolk, Thoreau was a Wildermann, and Hitler was Blutbad."

"Isn't that what Ashley is?" Liara asked. Shepard nodded.

"I don't believe it," Tali groaned. "All those anti-alien remarks, and Ashley isn't even human herself?"

"We're all half human," Jacob intoned, having returned to his own human form, folding his arms.

"A small distinction," Thane responded. Looking to the Commander, he asked, "And your ancestors, the Grimms . . . _hunted _people like them?"

Shepard nodded. "Yeah, mostly. They hunted down the bad ones, sure, but some of my ancestors were a little . . . overzealous." When the others looked at her she sighed. "One of my ancestors travelled with Charles Darwin on his trip to the Galapagos. There, the Grimm encountered a new breed of wesen, the _Genio-Innocuo, _a race of highly intelligent, turtle-like people. My ancestor noted they were gentle, totally non-violent and noted these attributes greatly aided him as he went about the task of 'exterminating' them."

"'Exterminating,'" Liara whispered. "They were doing nothing wrong, and he killed them, for no reason? Because they were different?"

"You have to understand," Miranda spoke, surprising everyone. "For a long time, Grimms were the scary stories wesen told their children, _our _monsters. They don't decapitate on sight anymore, too many treaties and near wars, but . . . not all of them are as friendly to us as Shepard here."

The commander shrugged. "Guess I'm just special that way."

"So, what?" Joker asked. "My uncle told me stories of deer hunting in the Ozarks_, _and your's told you how they tracked down . . . deer-people?"

"I don't think there is a deer-breed," Shepard said, smiling. "But no, my parents never told me. You're not born with the gift; it manifests, usually after you lose or nearly lose a family member who already has it." She shifted a little, thinking back on that day at the memorial ceremony. "It activates in women faster than men, but there's really no way to tell when it'll happen or even if it ever will."

"Like the Ardat-Yakshi," Samara breathed, sinking back into her chair.

"Yeah, I guess," Shepard said. "Except your daughters knew _that _was a possibility, however remote it seemed at the time. I didn't know any of this stuff until I was fourteen."

"Who taught you?" Thane asked. The others looked at him. "No matter how talented a student, there is a limit to how much one can learn self-taught."

Shepard grinned a little. "Yeah, I had help. My ancestors all kept some really detailed diaries, the kind historians and biologists would kill to get a chance to look at," she said, throwing a smile at Liara. "Ashley and her family helped some, not really with being a Grimm, mind you, just explained what was what and helped me stay alive during the rough years Mindior was rebuilding itself." Shepard sighed. "And then, I met Shenzi."

"Shenzi?" Liara asked, not liking the way Shepard said the name. She hastily scolded herself. _Shepard's been a grown woman for years! Just because you have no skill with relationships doesn't mean she hassn't any!_

"She was . . ." Shepard trailed off.

"Your first love," Miranda interrupted. Shepard shot her a glare. "Oh, come off it, Commander," the Hexenbiest responded. "It was nine, almost ten years ago."

"You think I care?" Shepard seethed, contemplating throwing the infuriating woman around the room with her biotics.

"I take it things didn't end well with . . . Shenzi," Garrus said, shifting in his seat a little as he felt Thane and Samara turn towards him.

"Shenzi wasn't just my girlfriend," Shepard sighed. "She was my partner, in life and on the streets. She was scared of me at first, but she believed in me, believed I could do something good."

"She was a wesen?" Liara asked.

Shepard nodded. "A Schackal, a Jackal-like Wesen, maybe that's why she believed in me." The others looked at her curiously. "Schackals, they have a well-earned nasty reputation, kind of like Grimms."

"Grimms never _ate_ anybody's—" Jacob started.

"No, but we did do some pretty bad stuff," Shepard interrupted. "Anyway, Shenzi helped me. We were both in the academy; I was training to join active service, and she wanted to be an investigator. She taught me how to look for clues, to understand the people around me . . . We helped a lot of people, nearly got killed a few times, but our luck held, until one day it didn't . . ." Shepard trailed off, her hands clenching beside her. She was _not _going to lose it in front of her crew.

"There was nothing you could have done, Shepard," Miranda whispered, gentler now.

The commander mumbled something, but didn't open her eyes.

"She's right," Jacob cut in. "I mean, three Reapers? I don't think I could have-"

"_I said, I know!"_ Shepard interjected, turning to scowl at the Hundjaeger.

"Reapers?" Tali asked. _"Keelah, _Shepard, tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means."

"It doesn't," Miranda cut in. "Reapers are an elite society of warriors, mostly Hasslichen—trolls—who hunt and kill Grimms."

"Yeah, they're kind of like Grimms for Grimms," Shepard spat. "Anyway, they didn't like the fact that Schackal was not only helping a Grimm but dating her as well. So, a few of them went to 'punish us . . .'"

"Of their own will?" Thane asked.

Shepard looked up at the assassin; of course, Thane's beliefs would prompt him to ask that question. If they were only doing a job, they weren't really to blame. "I don't know if they were following orders or not, but they seemed happy enough to hack us up." At the look on the others' faces, she sighed. "Some Reapers are biotics, but their favorite weapons are scythes."

"They just cut their victims apart?" Tali gagged. "Like animals?" She'd seen some nasty things over the years, but the careless butchering of another being was a new one for her.

"Traditionally, Grimms cut the heads off their victims," Miranda explained. "Someone thought it would be poetic for the Reapers to do the same."

"This story just keeps getting better and better," Garrus muttered to himself.

"We did pretty well," Shepard sighed. "Shenzi actually managed to kill one of them. I got another, but the last one . . ." _She didn't speak; she couldn't. Shepard relived the moment in her mind. She was standing above the dead Reaper's body, breathing heavy. He'd been tough, whatever metal they used to make their scythes was strong enough to cut through the light armor she wore under her clothes. She had a bunch of bruises and a new set of scars to add to her growing collection, but she wasn't about to die . . ._

_Or so she thought . . ._

"_Look out!" Shenzi cried, just as the _third _Reaper they hadn't seen jumped out of the shadows and lunged at her back. Shepard turned, eyes wide, and raised her gun, but it was too late. A scythe was buried into Shenzi's side; her beloved had taken a bullet for her._

"_NO!" Shepard screamed as the Reaper yanked his blade out of her girlfriend. Shenzi crumpled to the floor, moaning. The Hasslich raised its blade to attack again, but Shepard fired into his face, multiple times._

_As the Reaper fell to the floor, Shepard moved to her beloved's side. "You're going to be OK, Shenz," she whispered, trying to staunch the bleeding, but the hole was too big; it was like a chasm had opened up in the woman's torso._

"_Sorry, love," the Shackal had replied, _woging _back to her human form. _

"_Why'd you do it?" Shepard asked, losing her vision as she began to sob._

"'_Cause you're worth it . . . Love yo-" _

_That was the last time she ever heard her first love—her first _true _love's voice._

Shepard shook her head dispelling the ghosts of her past. "She was a good person; being a Schackal didn't define her, and she taught me that being a Grimm didn't have to define me."

The others looked at her in respectful silence. Thane brought his hands together in his lap, perhaps to pray. Tali bowed her head, and Garrus shifted in his seat.

Only Liara spoke, "I wish I could have met her."

Shepard smiled a little at her second love, reaching out to hold her hand. "I wish you could have, too, Liara. I think you would have really liked each other."

* * *

**Well, that was hard to write. Getting voice time to a lot of characters has always been a challenge for me, especially since I like harem stories, but I think I did pretty well in this.**

**Shenzi is named after the female hyena in _The Lion King, _following _Grimm's _habit of giving folk's meaningful names. I named her after the hyena, because I don't know of any literary jackals I could use (except the male one in _The Jungle Book), _but jackals and hyenas are both African scavengers/mid-level predators who have bad raps anyway, so . . . close enough.**

**Also, there's some debate as to whether Hitler was a Blutbad or a Schackal, apparently, two different official statements said both. I though he looked more like a Blutbad since his image in the film Nick watched didn't darken like the faces of Schackals seem to, and, since "Blutbad" is German for "Blood Bath," it fit.**

**Wesen:**

**Hundjaeger: "Hound Hunter," are a race of trackers. These canid wesen have strong sense of smell and are apparently quite strong, although not as powerful as Blutbaden. Hundjaeger are "a race so tenacious and vicious, it is said they are birthed by consuming their own mothers." As this would make population growth difficult if not impossible, it is likely hyperbole. Hundjaeger are, however, known for their relentless, often ruthless behavior. Hundjaeger, at least those in the Verrat, seem to follow a Nazi-esque few of race. During the years Franco controlled Spain, Hunjaeger infiltrated his forces and sexecuted large numbers of wesen on false charges as punishment for marrying outside their own breed, and the first Hudjaeger Nick fought made racist comments against Lauzenshlang ("Louse Snake,"Boa-Constrictor Wesen) and Fuchsbau ("Foxborrow," Vulpine wesen). The Verrat's agents are mostly Hunjaeger. **

**Hexenbiest: "Witch Beast," based off the witch in Snow White, these wesen are not royal as their literary counterpart was, but often work for the Royal Houses. They can be identified by a wart-like swelling on the underside of the tongue. Hexenbiests are strong and skilled fighters, able to see perfectly despite their apparent lack of eyes. They are also feared for their knowledge of zaubertranks (magic potions). Apparently, being a Hexenbiest makes them better than other wesen alchemists, somehow. Hexenbiests do suffer one major weakness, however, which they keep a closely guarded secret: if a Hexenbiest ingests even the smallest amount of a Grimm's blood, she will be "destroyed," that is, her wesen half will be removed, and she will become an normal human being. Hexenbiests are often vain, but, despite the great beauty of their human forms, humans rarely form relationships with them, suggesting even mundane humans can sense their "difference." Males are referred to as Zauberbiests ("Magic/Sorceror Beasts"). Because Hexenbiest is used as the name of the species as a whole, it seems that females are either the physical or demographically stronger (possible the later as only one Zauberbiest has been seen in the series so far). Hexenbiests can crossbreed with humans (at least Royals) and produce a half-human, half-wesen creature. They often become lawyers, although sometimes nurses, and are the natural enemies of the bee-like Millifers (The genus of honeybees).**

**Ziegevolk: "Goat folk," also called Blue Beards, based off the legends of satyrs and incubi, Ziegevolk release a pheromone through their sweat glands created in a gland in their brains which is unique to them. Alone, the pheromones merely increase their charisma and sex appeal, but, if the Ziegevolk eats certain amphibians to stimulate his gland, the pheromones can mesmerize anyone, even make people doubt their own memories. Ziegevolk also seem to get enhanced agility in their wesen form, but are characterized as "lovers not fighters." Monogamy seems to be impossible for these esen, as they have an instinctive desire to breed as much as possible (Ziegevolk are apparently always male). They often become "actor types," such as preachers and game-show hosts. President JFK, Frank Sinatra, and Casanova were all Ziegevolk**

**Wildermann: "Wild man," the wesen responsible for stories of Big Foot and his ilk. Wildermann are Neanderthal-looking wesen with unusually large feet. They are very large and strong, but also very agile and capable of moving silently. Although capable of great violence, most are peaceful. They are characterized as "back to Nature, ecowarrior types." Key members of the Transcendentalist Movement in America (such as Emerson, Thoreau, and Dickens) were all Wildermenn. The same term is apparently used for males and females.**

**Schackals: "Jackals," Schackals are strong and extremely fast canid wesen (although not as fast as the Jinamuru Xute) with teeth that saw through bone and a nasty-reputation. They often work as thieves, usually in small packs but are so hostile that they fight amongst themselves. I won't say what else they do, because that would bump this up to _at least _M-rated level.**

**I also thought of making Shenzi a Coyotal ("Coyotes,") which are a street-gang style wesen or one of the fiercely competitive (and just plain fierce) Lowens ("Lions"), but I went with Schackals because they've got the worst reputations, and I wanted a character who defied what was expected of her because of her race.**

**OK, next chapter: my wesen!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Ok, this is it. The last chapter of this little "Example" which is not really an example. I have ended up answering my own challenge. Oh, boy. Well, hopefully, this will inspire someone else to take up the gauntlet. **

**Don't worry, I'm still planning to retell "Mr. Sandman" and possibly "La Llorna" later, and I've thought of doing others, but I won't. In this universe, Nick went through all the stuff he did in the show, making Shepard go through it all again in the future seems kind of odd, so I won't do it. Besides, this was supposed to be a challenge for OTHER people. **

**All right! Enough whining! On with the finale!**

* * *

"Hey Doc," Shepard said, leaning against the ship's wall with a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. "I wasn't expecting to see you here at this hour."

"AppologiesCommander," the Salurian scientist offered. "WantedToAskAFavorOfYou."

"All right, shoot."

"BeenStudyingTheDataOnGrimmsAndWesenDr.T'SoniSentO ver." Mordin replied. Unlike his comrades, he had heard too many alien idioms over the years (of which he had too few left) to spend much time analyzing the more bizarre ones. "VeryInformative—AmazingReally. ButWantedMoreCaseStudies—OldBroker'sFilesMostlyLis tFactsLikeATextbook—HeardGrimmsKeptExtensiveRecord sOfEncountersWithWesen. WasHopingPerhapsYouWouldBeWillingToShare?"

Shepard grinned. It was a fun treat to see Mordin reduced to a child begging for candy. "My great-great grandparents made some electronic copies a century or so ago," she replied, pressing some buttons on her Omnitool. "What a few minutes and . . ." Mordin opened his own tool and actually began hopping a little as the large file was downloaded onto it. "There's one notebook. Come back for more when you're done with it."

Mordin raced off to his lab after a reply that was too fast for the Commander to make out. She smiled anyway, thinking it was "ThankYou!"

* * *

Mordin had already uploaded the data to his server by the time he had returned to the lab. An Omnitool was an extremely useful device, but he preferred larger terminals whenever it could be helped. He opened the file and began flipping through it. As much as he was tired of the textbook-like contents of the Shadow Broker's files, the Salurian couldn't help but admire the attention Shepard's ancestors had paid to scientific analysis, especially since the dates in the records indicated that they were made in an era when science was still little more than primitive; magic and religion were the order of the day in Earth's sixteenth century. But, here were hand-drawn pictures of wesen anatomy along with detailed explanations to how a Blutbad's muscular-system changed when it woged.

Shaking himself out of it, Mordin returned to the beginning of the diary and began reading (while idly wondering if Shepard was as good an artist as her ancestor).

* * *

_November 22, 1547:_

_After the discovery of several bodies drained of blood in a merchant's warehouse, the townsfolk began searching the graveyard for a vampire. I, however, launched my own investigation, knowing the real culprit to a Vryloka._

_I searched for two days before I found what I believed to be the creature responsible for the killings, a visiting man who worked in a tavern. I examined him closely and saw the scars on his fingers that revealed his breed._

_(Like the Hexwnbiest, a Vryloka has marks which are present even in human-form. In this case, ten scars on the fingers. This is from the Vryloka transformation ritual, where a Vryloka __pumps__ his blood into a human, __converting the man or woman into one of their own__.)_

_I followed to creature afterwards as he stole into a butcher's shop. His focus was entirely on his next victim, allowing me to get close. Unfortunately, it was at that moment, it was at that moment that a __second __Vrylok, fully woged, attacked the butcher._

_(Skin a light violet_ _his skin; eyes, lips, nails, and hair light red. Prominent, slanting brow gives an impressive, perpetual scowl. Front teeth of upper jaw all become sharp, deadly fangs. The second had much more vibrant colouration than the first.)_

_I instantly engaged the second wesen, but, to my surprise, the first also attack him. The newcomer, seeing himself outmatched, took advantage of the brief moment both of us were surprised by one another and escaped through the windows. The butcher began screaming in terror until the first Vryloka subdued him with his breath._

_(Lungs capable of releasing a gas which puts humans to sleep. Vryloka themselves are immune to it. I and my relations seem resistant to it, thankfully)._

_Again, I was surprised when the Vryloka did __not__ attempt to feed on the man, but placed him gently to the ground as one would a newborn babe. When I confronted the creature, he introduced himself as Seba Niles, and claimed to be over two hundred years of age._

_Niles claimed that he was held the position of General among the Vryloka, and had been sent by his "Princes" to hunt down what he referred to as a __"Vampaneze__." The Vampaneze were a rebel faction, he claimed, who totally abandoned their human halves and lived by traditions the Vryloka population had long since left behind. The Vampaneze supposedly left for distant lands and were left to their own devices by the Vryloka Generals and Princes, as well as the Wesen Council and the Royal Families, so long as they continued to hide their existence from the mundane. _

_Niles pointed out three faint marks on the butcher's left cheek, almost impossible to see. At first, I thought the man had scratched himself, but I saw that they were all the same size. Niles explained that this was the mark the Vampaneze left on their prey. Niles had traveled the city under cover of darkness for months looking for clues as to the haven of the Vampaneze, whom he named "Murlough." By luck, he had found this man and started following him to wait for Murlough's attack. I inquired as to why Murlough did not attack the man in his own home; Niles stated that the Vampaneze viewed dwellings as sacred and rarely kill people in their own homes, leading to the myth that vampires need an invitation to enter a human home._

_(The Vampaneze, Niles claims, are honorable killers, respected by their erstwhile cousins for their __bravery and loyalty__. Niles states that __lying is forbidden__ among the Vampaneze, and any who commits falsehood is killed by his comrades without question. They also shun guns, arrows, spears, and other forms of projectile weaponry as cowardly.)_

_I asked Niles why he did not locate the mind of his quarry as I am told Vryloka can do. Niles explained that this trick is only possible if the two minds learn to recognize one another's mental signals. It is possible for a Vryolka to learn this trick with any being, but the price for doing so is that when one attempts to find another in this manner, the other mind will __automatically __send a responding signal, even though the conscious mind is unaware of it. Only the closest of friends share their thoughts with one another, Niles said, and he has never trusted a Vampaneze enough to do this._

_It was then that Niles surprised me a second time; he suggested that we __work together __to hunt for Murlough. Naturally, I was hesitant to embrace any sort of alliance with a __blood-drinking creature of the night__, but I realized that desperate measures were necessary to deal with this insane and powerful fiend._

_Niles mentioned that he had searched the cemetary cellars, and any other places which Murlough might be hiding himself in, but had failed to locate him. I informed him that I had searched the inns and had received similar results. Niles declared that to be a waste of time as a Vampaneze would not have sought refuge in a human hostel. We therefore surmised that our enemy was hiding in the woods like the beast he was. With the dawn fast approaching, Niles returned to his room for the day. I considered searching for Murlough on my own, but decided against it because I realized I had little hope of locating him without Niles' keen senses._

_(Vrylokas are sensitive to the light of day; it blinds them instantly and reddens their skin within moments. After a few hours, they are reduced to __smoking bones__.)_

_Niles and I met an hour before sunset. To protect himself, my new allay was bundled in a thick cloak with a wide hat pulled over his face. Niles and I headed to the edge of town. He said there were some caves a mile or so to the North, and Murlough was likely hiding there. We walked together in silence until we reached the place. After cresting a small hill, we found them were: a series of caves in the next hill, each one __a mouth of darkness and horror__. Niles and I hid behind a rock, attempting to discern which cave Murlough might be hiding in. His senses would allow the Vampaneze to hear use if we chose the wrong cave, assuming he did not hear our approach._

_It was during this discussion that my initial fears were, apparently, confirmed. Niles and I were discussing our plans when he suddenly shoved me with all the strength of his arms. I flew back about 10 yards and was dazed for a brief moment. When I returned to my senses, I drew my pistol meaning to end the so-called "General" right then and there. _

_(Contrary to the myths of vampires, Vrylokas are vulnerable to a more diverse means of death than a stake through the heart. However, they are __very durable,__ so caution __must be used__ when dealing with them)_

_I paused, however, when I saw him engaged in battle with the Vampaneze. Murlough had been hiding above us in the trees, and only Niles' keen ears had heard him. The Vryloka had, likely, __saved my life._

_Abandoning my pistol, for the pair were moving too much to aim properly, I charged with my sword. I was unable to deliver a fatal blow to the Vampaneze, but I crippled him in the shoulder. Niles took advantage of the opportunity and swiftly tore out our enemy's throat with his nails._

_Afterwards, we conversed at length. Niles were annoyed with me for interfering in the match, and I agreed that it was dishonourable to strike an enemy who was already engaged in battle with another. I could only offer that I was not thinking at the moment, save of battle tactics. I apologized to a wesen for the first time in my life._

_However, this moment of camaraderie was not to last. Niles and I built a pier for Murlough, then set his body to burn. As the flames devoured the corpse, I warned Niles that if he were still in town in the morning, I would be forced to end him. The General accepted these terms and bade farewell to me, lamenting that I could have made "a fine Vryloka."_

* * *

**Author's Notes: The Vryloka, in case you haven't guessed, are based off Darren Shan's concept of vampires, a mythos that makes sense logically, even if it seems way "out there" compared to most vampire "facts." (And is kind of annoying in how much it paints the vampires as pretty much always good guys. I mean, I like good vampires, but Shan's are _all _good, and it gets kind of hard to deal with).**

**"Vryloka" is a D&D 4th Edition race, a kind of vampire/human hybrid that always has purple skin and red/organge hair, and has a name based off the Greek word for vampire, "vrylaloka."**

**Solomon Grimm, by the way, is based off Solomon Kane, a Robert E. Howard character. Kane was a Puritan who wandered 16th century Europe and Africa fighting pirates and wizards and monsters and such. He seemed like a good character to base a Grimm off of, so I did. (Heck, part of me is holding out hope that hte treasure the seven Crusader-Grimms hid away was the magical staff Solom got from his friend N'Longa. Yeah, yeah, I know that doesn't work chronologically, but let a guy dream.)**


End file.
